


The Dirk Who Saved Christmas

by loonyBibliophile



Category: Homestuck
Genre: College AU, F/M, christmas related fluff, non-sburb AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-25
Updated: 2013-11-25
Packaged: 2018-01-02 15:59:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1058748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonyBibliophile/pseuds/loonyBibliophile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dirk doesn't really care that much for Christmas. But if it would make Roxy smile again, he would do just about anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dirk Who Saved Christmas

Dirk frowned as he observed his best friend, who sat beside him on the couch. Something was off about her. And it wasn't just the lingering smell of acetone from her fresh manicure, or the vague smell of martini on her pursed lips. It was December 3rd, and he hadn't heard Roxy utter a single word about Christmas. Ever since he'd known her, Roxy had been nuts for Christmas, starting in on preparations as soon as Thanksgiving ended and not stopping until December was already over. It was, beyond a doubt, her favorite time of the year. But after getting in an enormous argument with her mother when she went home for Thanksgiving, any hint of excitement over the holiday, or anything for that matter, had vanished. She hadn't even been drinking much that year, until she got home from her trip, and suddenly the ever present martini glass was glued to her polished fingers yet again.

Despite pestering her for days about what had happened, but 'we fought' was the most he'd suckered out of her. Jane and Jake had both taken a whack at it too, but to no avail. The blonde had sealed her lips. Concerned, Dirk had hardly left her side since she returned, alternating between pestering her about what was the matter and simply being a good friend, providing her with hugs and snacks and making sure she slept on her side while drunk. But after about a week of her intense sulking, he started hatching a plan. 

Dirk Strider was decidedly unfond of Christmas. Honestly, he was decidedly unfond of most holidays. They seemed frivolous and unnecessarily materialistic. But he had a feeling this would be the best way to pull Roxy out of her funk. Watching her mope around and drink 24/7 was killing him. 

The next day, he huddled himself in a corner somewhere Roxy wouldn't go looking for him and made a phonecall. 

"Dirk, for the last time, i really don't know, and if I did I would tell you, I promise." Jane rattled off as soon as she picked up. Dirk coughed, cutting her off before she could keep going. 

"I know, I just need your help. If I buy you the supplies, will you bake me some stuff?"

"Hoohoo, planning something Strider?"

"I gotta get our dear miss Lalonde out of this funk somehow. And I have a plan, it just requires your help. Maybe Jake's, but mostly yours. Not yet, but it will."

"Well, if it's to help Roxy of course I'll lend a hand, or mixing spoon as it stands." she chuckled.

"Thank you, seriously. I'll be in touch. I have shopping to do." he hung up with a click, jamming his phone into his pocket. A silly bejeweled phone charm clinked against the side as he put it away and he shook his head. He usually refused to leave the blue half of his and Roxy's 'best friends' phone charms she won at an arcade in 8th grade on his phone, but since she was so sad he'd taken to leaving it there to try and coax at least a half smile out of her. The pink half hung off of Roxy's phone at all times, along with a variety of other charms. Thinking twice, he pulled it out again quickly and texted Roxy that he had to run some errands but he'd be over in a few hours and not to do anything stupid while he was gone and also what she wanted for dinner, he'd bring something home. She sent back a 'k' and a request for Chinese food. Content with her response, he stashed his phone again and headed for his car, driving into town. His errands began at the party store. 

Dirk was, frankly, overwhelmed, as soon as he entered the Christmas section of the store. There was an enormous amount of stuff. Taking a deep breath, he decided to start easy. Lights, he knew Roxy like the big semi opaque old fashioned ones, and also the blue icicle lights. So he picked up a box of each, and a box of regular small lights for a tree. He contemplated the decorative wreaths, but decided she'd probably prefer a real one. So instead he moved onto garlands, picking up one strand of imitation pine and one of metallic silver, and a couple big red bows, just to be safe. Window clings also seemed like a good idea, so he grabbed a few sheets of fake snowflakes and jolly Santas and cute reindeer. Deciding that was enough for this particular stop, he checked out and then drove out to the nearest mall to hit up a few stores there. 

First was the Hallmark store, where he picked a few new ornaments featuring things Roxy liked, like Harry Potter, Charlie Brown, The Grinch, and a cheesy winter themed frame he could slide a picture of them into. He also picked up a singing Frosty the Snowman stuffed animal decoration, just to be safe. next, Dirk braced himself for the next spot on his list: Build-a-Bear. He knew there was no way Roxy could keep from flipping her shit if he brought home some cute pink stuffed cat dressed as an adorable elf, complete with matching orange teddy bear in a boy's elf outfit. Jake could never find out this happened, he thought to himself as he entered the store, going through the complete motion of making both stuffed animals, even wishing on the little plush hearts, and dressing and naming them (Named Sweet Roxy and Hecka Dirk, respectively). He even got the little red, holiday themed houses to carry them in. The rest of his time at the mall was spent looking through every department store before he found appropriately over the top Christmas sweaters. 

As he headed downtown, to where the ritzier shops were, Dirk's car was getting progressively fuller. But he only had to stop two more places anyway, and his purchase at one of them would be getting locked safely in the glove department. He silently thanked his brother for both being filthy rich and never monitoring his spending habits as he walked into Tiffany's. He figured is he was going all out he might as well go completely all out and buy Roxy something really nice as a present. After some manner of searching, and frequently reassuring the people in the store he fully intended to purchase something and was not a hoodlum, he settled on a silver locket, meant to be inspired by Daisy from the Great Gatsby, a book Roxy adored. Once it was wrapped safely in it's little blue box, Dirk paid, wincing slightly as he did, if his brother noticed he would kill him, and left the store. The last stop was the grocery door, to pick up ingredients for sugar cookies, holiday cookie cutters, icing and sprinkles, and a gingerbread house kit and candy for decorating. He would also at some point need a tree, a wreath and a few other things, but that could all wait a few days. Once he'd picked up take out at his and Roxy;s favorite place, that was that. 

He stashed everything at his apartment, since Roxy wouldn't be over for a few days since she was still so out of it, and it stayed there for about a week, untouched. But once Dirk felt it was close enough to Christmas, he re-enlisted Jane's help. With some fussing, he got Roxy into the apartment Jane and Jake shared so roxy could help Jane bake Christmas cookies, which later Dirk and Roxy would decorate together. But Roxy didn't know that yet. As soon as Roxy was out of the apartment, Dirk raced off to a Christmas tree lot, picked up a tree that would just barely fit in Roxy's apartment, and a wreath and bough of mistletoe to go with them. Last minute, he stopped and picked up a few silly things at the shopping center to wrap up and put under the tree. 

As soon as he was back at Roxy's apartment, he called Jake in to help with the decorating, so he would be done in time. he knew where Roxy kept the ornaments and decorations she already owned, and two hours later, Roxy's townhouse apartment was a veritable winter wonderland. The outside was hung with blue icicles and the large old fashioned lights, one of the garlands strung around the banister, and the windows were covered in perfectly placed window clings. The wreath, replete with big red bow, hung on the front door. Inside, the tree was strung with lights and the silver garland, the ornaments ready to be hung and arranged around the silvery white tree skirt neatly, so Roxy could help. There were boxes of candy canes there as well. An extra strand of small lights hung around the living room, sparkling softly, and red fabric covered all the various tables and end tables. The coffee table had Roxy's collection of Christmas snowglobes on it, as well as a stack of christmas movies. On the end table was the singing Frosty the snowman, and Roxy's old stuffed Grinch that recited the part of the book where his heart grew three sizes. The stuffed cat and bear in their holiday outfits were perched on the back of the sofa. Her kitchen counter was home to the assembled and ready to be decorated gingerbread house, and all the icing and sprinkles needed for the cookies. Under the tree were a few wrapped presents, the small Tiffany's box wrapped in shining silver paper with a blue bow, front and center. Next to the tree hung a few stockings. Dirk thanked Jake profusely and sent him off, then donned the ridiculous sweater and waited just inside, texting Jane that she could send Roxy home with all the freshly baked cookies whenever they were ready. 

Not too much later, Dirk spotted Roxy stopping suddenly as she approached her apartment, confused by the lights outside. He quickly slipped over to the door, waving jovially at her once he opened the door. 

"Welcome home." he said softly, grinning at her. She opened her mouth, close it, then opened it again. 

"Did you... Did you do this?"

"Mostly. Little help from Jake and Jane, but mostly. Come inside, it's cold." 

Roxy nodded, still in awe, and wandered up the steps and into her one bedroom townhouse apartment, looking around. Dirk had the main lights off so the tree and the lights up by the ceiling would shine better. She shook her head,a slight smile snaking onto her lips finally, as she took everything in. 

"Why?"

"You were upset. I don't know, it's weird for you to not be excited about Christmas, so I decided to do it all up for you and hope that fixed it." She shook her head again and grinned outright, setting the cookies down before launching herself at Dirk and hugging him tightly, whispering a thank you into his chest. He returned the hug gladly, content to see her come back to herself a little. 

"Come on, let's decorate these suckers!" she said brightly, pointing at the cookies. Dirk laughed, and quickly slipped a CD of Christmas music in before joining her in the kitchen. The rest of the evening was a chaotic mess of icing and candy and sprinkles, but by the end of it, Roxy had made a one eighty back to her usual holiday crazed self. They also had about four dozen cookies, decorated to various degrees of neatness. After washing her hands and pulling on the matching sweater Dirk proffered her, Roxy inspected the living room closer, smiling all the while. 

"Oh my god, Dirk, did you go to Build a Bear?"

"Yes. don't tell anyone, or I'll have to kill you." She rolled her eyes and chuckled, giving him another hug. 

The following days before Christmas passed easily and quickly, especially once classes let out. Roxy and Dirk spent most of their time eating and watching movies, occasionally being dragged to a holiday party or dinner. As it tend to in New York, it snowed a few times, much to Roxy's delight, and they built many a small comical snowman in the courtyard of the apartment complex they both lived in. A few days before Christmas, Jake and Jane both left to spend the holiday at Jane's dad's house, but Dirk and Roxy stayed behind, opting not to deal with either of their mostly absent parents. On Christmas Eve they curled up with the Grinch cartoon and ordered in Chinese, staying up till midnight to open a present each, as tradition dictated. The small pile had grown slightly as Roxy added gifts for Dirk and presents from close friends and their parents had rolled in. But Dirk made sure the silver box stayed visible. Clad in their pajamas they settled on the floor beneath the tree at 12:01, December twenty fifth. 

"You first!" Roxy grinned, pushing a long flat box towards him excitedly. 

"Whatever you say, Rox." he chuckled, removing the festive paper carefully. Inside was a white clothing box, inside which was something wrapped neatly in red tissue paper. it was a framed piece of paper, which upon closer inspection, Dirk realized was an autographed frame of animation from the movie Spirit, a childhood favorite of his. He grinned and chuckled. "You're the best Rox." she beamed, clearly glad he enjoyed the gift. Carefully, he pulled the silver package from the table and passed it to her. "For you." he nodded,a soft expectant smile on his face. She ripped the paper off in her usual exuberant manner and her eyes grew wide as the paper fell away revealing a box in a very specific shade of blue. Almost reverently, she pulled the top off so she could see the silver, flower covered locket nestled primly in the black velvet. 

"Dirk, oh my god." her fingers touched it gently, pulling it carefully from it's box and opening the clasp, closing it around her neck deftly. She shook her head. "You shouldn't have."

"Too late. And I have one more thing I want to give you tonight." Roxy looked at him, puzzled, as he waved her up and towards the kitchen. She followed him slowly. "Now close your eyes." he nodded and she did as he requested. Quietly, he pulled a brown bag containing a plastic wrapped sprig of mistletoe from the fridge, pulling the green bundle out and holding it delicately above Roxy's head. "Alright, open up." he whispered, his face close to hers. She barely had time to glance up and acknowledge the mistletoe before Dirk leaned in, pressing his lips to hers softly, the hand not holding onto the sprig wrapping around her waist. A soft smile wound it way onto her lips as she returned the kiss, her eyes closing again slowly. 

"Merry Christmas, Roxy Lalonde." he whispered as he pulled away, smiling. 

"Merry Christmas, Dirk Strider."

**Author's Note:**

> So this is cheesy as all hell and very very perilously in character, but gosh was it fun to write! I hope it helps get people in the Christmas spirit!


End file.
